Salvaging apparatus



Patnted Apr. 11, 1922 Y w PM RE T W m m E WM% 3 I J. M. ADAMS. SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1921.

1,412,202. Patented APP-11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTUR JHMFE M #175215.

HIE: HTTUF'NEJY J. M. ADAMS. SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 192-1- Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Ju' Q s \h 8 E p 1 L 2 W H w WM: MU T m i 21 1 in 3 53p:

pull the spear through said passage, whereupon the end of the line is made fast to a floating member, such as the buoy 14 shown in Fig. 4. 1V hen the ship sinks below the surface this buoy will be urged to float, and it will remain on the surface giving permanent indication of the position 01'? the sunken vessel. A float 15 may conveniently be mounted on the spear 10 for the purpose of urging said spear into a vertical position. When the ship 4 appears near the place it will discover the buoy, which then is picked up and detached from the buoy line, whereupon the latter ispulled taut. For the purpose of hauling this line taut, and in order to 10 into a substantially vertical position, the buoy line is made with an enlargement 13, which is free to enter the passage 10*, but which comes to a stop against a shoulder portion 10. it is understood, of course, that the vessel 4, by pulling on the buoy line 13, has previously been enabled to maneuver itself into a position substantially perpendicularly "above the sunken vessel. The crew of the vessel 4 will then thread the end ofthe buoy line through a tubular rod 17, whereupon said rod is caused to slide down along the buoy line. The rod 17 terminates in a head 18 carrying a plurality ot' pawls 19, 20, which latter, through the medium of suitable springs 21, 2:2 are urged into engagement with the spear-head 10*, when the rod reaches said spear. The opposite end of the rod 1'? terminates in a shoulder 23, which is shaped to receive a hauling cable 24.

When connection has been made, as just described, it remains for the crew to pull in on the hauling cable 24.

Devices 25, 26, similar to the one just described, are found along the sides of the sunken vessel and on the salvaging vessels 2 and3, and they are brought into engagement with each other in identically the same manner, if desired. ()n the salvaging vessels may be installed power driven winches 28, 29, which in the first place are put into operation to place the sunken vessel on its keel and to raise it free of the bottom, whereupon the vessel 4 commences the towing operation. In Fig. 1 the vessels 2 and dare, tor the sake of clearness shown I placed far apart, but I'wish it understood that in practice they will seek a position close together. The said essels are'shown proceeding under their own steam, but they may well be towedby the front vessel 4 also. Furthermore it may be found desirable to interconnect the two vessels, as inv dicated in Fig. 3,,wl1ere one or more trusses .30 are shown suitably secured on the ships .31, 32, for the purpose of stabilizing the ,ships. It: is not necessary that the vessels N 2, 8 and 31, 32 be complete steamships, as 65 indicated, and in most cases it may be Sutfithe cables eient and preferable to employ large barges or scows, and to interconnect such scows by trusses substantially as above described. On the tubular rod 1'! is secured a motor casing within which the usual field magnets are secured and an armature 36 is also mounted to rotate in the casing, as usual in practice. This armature is rigid on a tubular shaft 37, which extends through the casing and serves to support a propeller 38. Suitable means, such as an antifriction vasher 39, is provided to take the end thrust of the propeller against the head 18; From the vessel extenrl' cables 40, 41', through which a circuit is closed, causingthe motor to start and to rotate the propeller. The spear hca d 1H" is fitted with flanges 10 adapted to prevent rotation of the vpavvls 19, 20 on said head and consequent twisting of 24.. y I l mon the objections to sending the motor an to connect with the sunken vessel is the weight of the motor, furthermore is difiiculty in making. the motor watertight. The problem of insulation is also diilicult problem. For these reasons itmay be better not to employ'such motor, butin its stead to use flexible shaft connections to drive the propeller, and such a construction is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

The spear mechanism may remain ashereinbeiore described, but the tubular rod 51 is made with a head 52 having lateral arms 52, 52 and these arms are perforated to form bearings for a pair of propellers 53,

Within the vessel 55 are installed suitable power generating machinery, such as steam engines or electric generating sets (not shown), from which extend flexible shafts 56, 57 to the said arms and connected to rotate said propellers. By means of suitable couplings 58 these shafts may conveniently be'made in sections, so as to be morereadily adapted to distance variations between'the sunken vessel 60 and the towing ship 55 Conceivably it may at times be necessary vessels, in order to carry particularly heavy hulls, and if all the vessels are interconnected, as shown, in Fig. -1, it may not be advisable to stop and disconnect any of the connections. In that case special rapple tongs are provided, and such tongs (0 may be loweredalong one of the cables 24, whereupon the cable 71 of the tongs may be picked up by such additional vessel (not shown). By reterring'to Fig. 5 it is readily seen that a pull on the said grapple cable 71 will have the effectof causing the tongs 7 O to grip the cable 24. The application of a number of such devices may,in anemergency, prove very helpful, if not necessary.

Iclaim:

l.In a'salvaging apparatus, means for making connection with a sunken vessel from above water for the purpose of raising said vessel clear of the bottom, said means including a pair of propellers, flexible shafts extending from above water to said propellers for the purpose of rotating the same, and means for towing the submerged vessel to a place of safety.

2. In a salvaging apparatus, means for making connection between ships above water and a sunken vessel for the purpose of raising said vessel above the bottom, means for towing the submerged vesselto a place of safety, said means including one or more propellers, and means extending from above the surface for driving said propellers.

8. The combination with a sunken vessel, of a towing ship, abuoy line extending from said vessel 'to the surface, a towing cable slidable along said line to connect with the vessel, a yoke on said cable, propellersmounted in said yoke, and means extending from the towing ship for rotating said propellers. 4. A towing ship, a submerged vessel, a connecting member on, said vessel, a llne terminating in a buoy andextending from said member to the surface, a cable connection terminating in a head and slidable down said line for connecting with said member,

one or more propellers rotatable in said head, and means extending from the ship for driv- 7 ing said propellers.

nectable above water with a sunken vessel for raising said vessel clear of the bottom, a towing ship, a floating member suspended from the sunken vessel, means on the towing ship slidable down the suspension line of said floating member for making towing connection with the vessel, said means including auxiliary propellers.

.7. The combination with a towing ship and a sunken vessel, of a towing line, means for attaching said line to the sunken vessel from above Water, propellers mounted on said towing line, and flexible shafts extending from the towing ship to drive said'propellers, said shafts made in sections by means of suitable couplings.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

JAMES M. ADAMS. 

